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Josh Chaikin Inner circle Kansas City 1430 Posts |
It is generally agreed upon that the greatest benefit of working a restaurant is exposure. You make contacts every night, and really get a chance to get booked for private shows. After being at this restaurant for eight months, I've never been asked for my card (though I do have some up front), and I have not been called to do a private show.
I don't think it's from a lack of entertainment value; I do run into people who have seen me work on a near daily basis (relatively small town), and they express how much they loved it - often times coming back to the restaurant with their friends to "see the magician." Is there a secret to this? I would prefer not to do any hard selling, but I do want to increase bookings from the restaurant. Your thoughts? Josh |
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Bad to the Balloon Inner circle Clearwater Florida 2116 Posts |
It sounds like people think you have a job.
My closing statement goes like this: " Thank you for coming in tonight here at _________. We have entertainment every ______ and it is usually me!! There is a schedule of all the restaurant I do weekly on my card. I create balloons and magic for adults and families all over the world."
Mark Byrne
AKA Mark the Balloon Guy As seen on the TODAY SHOW www.balloonguy.net Creator of Bad to the Balloon DVD series Go to my store: http://tinyurl.com/Bad2theBalloon |
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BrianMillerMagic Inner circle CT 2050 Posts |
Hand out your business cards man! I hand out my cards at every table, even ones that don't look like there is any promise of a booking. You never know who that person might be talking to in a week and remembers the magician for the restaurant would be perfect for some event! I generally hand out one card per every two people. Essentially it equates to either a card a couple or a card per family, this way you aren't going through a billion cards a night. That would be my first advice to getting bookings from your restaurant work.
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Josh Chaikin Inner circle Kansas City 1430 Posts |
Thanks for the quick replies. I'll start handing my cards out at the tables.
Mark, I do have a closing statement along those lines, "Thank you for coming out tonight, if you had fun, please, let the manager know. I'm here every Friday night from 6:00 to 8:00. Enjoy your meal." I also try to construct the patter to indicate that it is a full-time job, like with Triumph I talk about performing for some engineers from Bose, and you can guess the rest (granted it was at the airport, they don't need to know that...) Again, thanks for the thoughts and any others are greatly appreciated. Josh |
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Lyndel Inner circle wrote the theme to the TV show COPS! 1623 Posts |
Plant the seed...
During your patter, drop little lines such as, "The other day, I was performing this trick at a birthday party and the crowd went wild..." Or, "Two weeks ago, I was performing this very same trick for a group of business men at a sales meeting who all swore that there was absolutely no way that the card could possibly end up where I'm about to tell you that it is..." Subtle little hints like this will set your guests to thinking about ways that they personally can use your services - assuming of course that you are proficient at your craft and providing that you have a quality act. Lyndel |
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MagicSanta Inner circle Northern Nevada 5841 Posts |
I also thinks it depends on where you are. Some cities have more parties and functions where a magician might be wanted, others don't.
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Josh Chaikin Inner circle Kansas City 1430 Posts |
The restaurant I work is in a college town, however, the majority of the clientele, are not college students (I guess there are other restaurants with more alcohol closer to campus!)
I'm working on picking up a few more places out in Topeka, which would definitely have a different kind of diner. Lyndel, thanks for the advice. I'll definitely try to tweak my presentations to try to give that sort of indication - and I do like to think that I have a quality act Josh |
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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
I depends on WHAT RESTAURANT you are at. As well as what town you are in.
IF your at a place a lot of executives eat, then you will be doing more corporate functions, and family places more kids parties. It is why choosing a place based on reasons other than, yep we will hire you, is a good idea. I don't like handing out cards every table. First off it can be a huge turn off and make you look like a bad used car salesman. People will ask when they are ready to ask. It is up to you to make them ready. Are you doing something wrong? Probably yes. Without knowing the act, who can say? It may be ONE line turning off people in droves.
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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kammagic Inner circle 1304 Posts |
Yes I make sure everyone at the table gets one of my cards before I leave. Even return guests get one each time they come in.
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Ron Vergilio Special user Murrieta, CA 835 Posts |
If you want to be subtle about it, do an effect using your business card that you can leave as a momento. Use the back of your card to write a prediction for a selected card or something like that. There are many tricks that you can use your business card and leaving it makes sense.
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
EVERYONE at the table gets my business card before I leave. I also ask if anyone at the table has a business card that I can use for a trick. When I get the cards from THEM, I'll do something with them and just keep their cards that I put into my database for Cold Calling the next day.
I call the person up and thank them for coming to the restaurant I perform for and invite them back again. I also use this opportunity to see if they have any events coming up that they might require entertainment for. Don't just give out your card. Be proactive. Try and get theirs. The likely hood of YOU calling them is better than THEM calling you!
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
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Guardian452 Loyal user Los Angeles 235 Posts |
Give them your card in a magic trick
do something with the card, dissapear, light in on fire and restore it, etc.
Been a busker since I was 14 from San Diego; Don Driver was my mentor along with many others like Jimmy Talksalot, Sleeveless (Stephen Sloan), Bob Elliott.
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Bad to the Balloon Inner circle Clearwater Florida 2116 Posts |
Hmmm ..... Are people enjoying you or tolerating you? I know that sounds harsh, but hear me out.
I have my wife come into my restaurant occasionally to be my barometer. She will sit quietly with family, friends or just by herself. Her job is to listen...... she then tells me what conversations go on after I leave a table or area. The feedback is great and she is not worried about hurting my feeling (no really she isn't!!) Oh yeah, forgot the last line in my table speech: " I do lots of private parties"
Mark Byrne
AKA Mark the Balloon Guy As seen on the TODAY SHOW www.balloonguy.net Creator of Bad to the Balloon DVD series Go to my store: http://tinyurl.com/Bad2theBalloon |
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Josh Chaikin Inner circle Kansas City 1430 Posts |
I would say that, for the most part, people are enjoying me. Generally, I do get called back to most tables after they finish eating, and I do have several regulars.
Reading Danny's comments, I have my answer. I work a family establishment, so, obviously, I'm not going to be getting called for corporate events. I seem to be able to get more networking done at private events; maybe because I'm seen in that element and people are quicker to make the connection. |
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Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
The hardest part of this game is figureing out your own voice in magic and who your target audience is. If you perform at Chuck E. Cheese, don't expect to get calls for Corporate Entertainment. I'm not saying it won't happen...but the chances are you'll be playing the bday party circuit.
When I play restaurants, I try and find the happy medium. I choose resaurants that will have an even mixture of Families AND Corporate America...and in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area...those joints are very plentiful. That way, I'm open to perform for either audience. Currently, I'm playing one restaurant on Tuesday and Wednesday Nights and my other restaurant Thursday - Sunday Night. My target audience is for Corporate America but should I get the call for a birthday party then I'm all set and ready to go! Just something to think about...
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
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magic_man_jim Regular user 118 Posts |
Josh,
Use your buisness card to do some powerful magic! Something that you do with your buisness card and then hand out to them to keep. A "out to lunch" effect is what I usually do. There is a piece of self promotion going home with them cleverly disguised as a magic effect!! I also agree with Lyndel drop those lines in your patter that suggest you do parties!
Magic is not to fool...but allows you to believe!
Jim Boothe www.jimboothemagic.com jim@jimboothemagic.com |
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Ted Danger Regular user San Francisco/Utila 106 Posts |
Josh,
I'm shocked that nobody else said, "get an agent". But if your good, that's pretty much the ticket. While this won't increase bookings through the restaurant, who cares.....
"One may say the eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility." Albert E.
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Bad to the Balloon Inner circle Clearwater Florida 2116 Posts |
So what is 20% of zero?
Mark Byrne
AKA Mark the Balloon Guy As seen on the TODAY SHOW www.balloonguy.net Creator of Bad to the Balloon DVD series Go to my store: http://tinyurl.com/Bad2theBalloon |
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Dannydoyle Eternal Order 21219 Posts |
UMMMMMMMMM 0? RIGHT?
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus <BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell |
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Josh Chaikin Inner circle Kansas City 1430 Posts |
Ø or Null actually.
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